According to the Star Tribune's LaVelle Neal, the Twins are expected to speak with free agent Francisco Liriano's agents next week during the winter meetings in Nashville but have had some initial talks with his representatives already this offseason.

The enigmatic 29-year-old left-hander has struggled mightily with control since a bounce-back 2010 campaign. His 12.6% walk rate has been the second-highest in baseball in that time and his 5.23 ERA has been very unimpressive. That said, he is still under 30, likely in line for a one-year deal and has missed more bats than any other starting pitching in the past two years (12.4% swinging strike rate).

If the Twins are set on filling out the back of their rotation with a high risk/high reward free agent, Liriano is just as good as any.

"You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time." -- Jim Bouton, "Ball Four"

Before the inevitable vemom is spewed, they would be looking to bring him back on the cheap with the idea that he would contend for a 4 or 5 spot. Would you rather have Frankie, Deduno or DeVries filling those spots?

I'd rather they start fresh, but it would not surprise me. It probably would not make me super thrilled, though. I'd like the last guy to be someone from another team's minor league system. Diamond, Gibson, FA, FA, traded for guy....that's what I'd like (in no particular order). And, I'd want both FA signings to be, you know, good.

What I just typed is probably an opinion, not a fact. I mean, I'm usually right, so you should maybe assume it is or will be a fact soon, but that's up to you.

I've been a proponent of calling the Liriano experiment dead and buried ever since he was traded. Aside from a fluky 2010, his post-TJ career has been pretty damn bad. This is also why our trade return on him was actually a good bit better than I expected and certainly nothing to complain about.

On the other hand, if he is as cheap as some are suggesting ($4 million!?), I'd be okay with them throwing a year at him. Maybe a make-good contract would light a fire under his butt finally.